Run Smart Contractor On A Network

Run Smart Contractor On A Network

Smart Contractor is able to run on multiple computers simultaneously on any type of Windows local area network (LAN). Smart Contractor can also run on a Netware network, with the following provision:

Important Note: In order to run on a Netware network, the Netware server must be configured as a "data server", as opposed to a "file server". Please see your Netware network administrator technical support for assistance with this.

To run Smart Contractor on a network, it is not necessary to install it on the network server. Smart Contractor uses "peer to peer" data management, so the database can reside on the network server, or in any shared folder with read/write access on any drive anywhere on the network.

To run Smart Contractor on multiple computers on a network, follow these steps:

Install Smart Contractor

Install Smart Contractor on all computers on which you want to use it. Do not install it on the network server unless someone will be running Smart Contractor on the server console (keyboard and monitor).

Select Database Folder Location

Decide where you want Smart Contractor database to reside. This must be a "shared" folder which all users have read/write access to. Let's call this folder the "central data folder".

The central data folder does not have to be on a server. It can be on any computer on the network, but it should be located on the fastest computer on the network, and the network should have at least a 10 Mb throughput, but ideally 100 Mb.

If you want to leave the Smart Contractor database where it is, and simply connect other computers to it, skip the next "Copy Database" step, and go on to the "Open Database" step.

Copy Database

Place a copy of the Smart Contractor database in the central data folder.

If you have already been running Smart Contractor on a single computer, you will want to continue to use that database, so copy the "SC.mdb" file from the folder on the computer on which you have been using the program into the central data folder. To determine where the Smart Contractor data is located on your computer, run Smart Contractor, click on "File" > "Open Database". The Smart Contractor data is in the folder that is currently selected.

Open Database

After a copy of the Smart Contractor database has been placed in the "central data folder", you must go to each computer that is running Smart Contractor and tell it to look for the data in the central data folder.

To do this, select the Open Database menu option in the File menu.

This will display a form that will allow you to specify the folder where the Smart Contractor database can be found. See the Open Database topic for more information.

Once you have opened the database, you do not have to do it again. Smart Contractor will automatically open the same database every time it starts.

Important: Now that you have set Smart Contractor to use a database on the network, the computer containing the data must be operational in order for Smart Contractor to work! If either the network, or the computer containing the data on the network are not working when you start Smart Contractor, it will display a message indicating that the database file is not found. When you click OK, it will display a "Smart Contractor Database Folder" window prompting you to select the database folder. Click Cancel. Smart Contractor will quit. Resolve the network problem and then try again.